Shawn vs. Bret: WWE Superstars weigh in
10/25/2011 14:36
Perhaps no single event in sports-entertainment history is as polarizing as “The Montreal Screwjob.” A shocking culmination of the lengthy rivalry that burned between Shawn 
With the DVD stirring up some serious debate in the locker room,
Who was your childhood hero?
Bret “Hit Man” Hart made his WWE debut on Aug. 24, 1984 in a tag match alongside The Dynamite Kid. Four years later, on July 7, 1988, Shawn Michaels set foot in a WWE ring for the first time. In the decade that followed, their paths crossed in tag bouts, WrestleMania main events and one life-changing night in Montreal, Quebec in November of 1997. Along the way, they inspired an entire generation of young hopefuls to step through the ropes and pursue the impossible dream of becoming a WWE Champion.
CHRISTIAN: I followed Bret Hart’s career ever since Calgary Stampede Wrestling, so I really enjoyed watching him grow as a performer and move on to the Intercontinental Championship and then, of course, the WWE Championship. I always admired his style. He was just no-nonsense — a pure wrestler. That’s what he wanted to be known as, and the people loved him because of that.
CM PUNK: Shawn Michaels definitely grabbed my attention when I was a kid.
CODY RHODES: I grew up regularly defending the chaps and ridiculous outfits of Shawn Michaels.
ZACK RYDER: When I was a kid, I was always on the Shawn Michaels side for sure. He was just one of my favorites growing up. I guess I always wanted to be a sexy boy.
DREW McINTYRE: As much as I love Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart was always my No. 1, as far as I can remember. I’m not saying that Michaels wasn’t a close second, but Bret was always No. 1.
TED DIBIASE: Bret Hart was one of my favorites, other than my dad, for the longest time. One day, I was sitting front row and he gave me the glasses. I still have them actually, which is pretty cool.
JOHN MORRISON: Growing up, I was a huge fan of Shawn Michaels. He was the only bad guy I liked as a kid.
Who was on the better tag team?
Before they broke out as singles stars, both The Hit Man and Michaels established themselves in the tag team division as members of The Hart Foundation and The Rockers, respectively. Alongside the powerful Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Hart captured the World Tag Team Championships on two occasions, and rumbled with legendary teams like Demolition and The British Bulldogs. HBK and his partner, Marty Jannetty, never won the titles, but gained legions of fans with their cocky attitudes and flashy offense. The team may best be remembered, though, for their breakup, which saw Michaels send his longtime friend through a plate-glass window.
McINTYRE: They were both equally innovative, but I’m going to go with The Hart Foundation since they actually held the titles officially. That gives them the edge, but they were both awesome tag teams.
BETH PHOENIX: The Rockers were definitely more fun and upbeat, but The Hart Foundation appealed to me more, because they had the technical style and the colorfulness of Jimmy Hart. They had a way of making sure the job got done by any means necessary.
DIBIASE: I’m going to have to say The Rockers. I just loved watching them come out every time they were on TV. It was electric and a lot of fun to watch.
RYDER: Definitely The Rockers. The Hart Foundation were the bad guys beating up The Rockers, so I was always going for Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty and I always aspired to be just like them.
JOHN CENA: I prefer me and Shawn Michaels. We were the World Tag Team Champions — it’s in the book!
Who had the better finishing maneuver?
Like any great Superstar, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart built their reputations around their finishing maneuvers. For HBK, it was Sweet Chin Music — a devastating thrust kick that the WWE Hall of Famer executed out of nowhere to destroy opponents like Triple H and Chris Jericho. The Excellence of Execution favored the Sharpshooter, a wrenching submission hold that was later adopted by a myriad of competitors, including The Rock and Hart’s niece, Natalya.
CENA: I haven’t been on the wrong side of The Sharpshooter, but if you’re on the wrong side of Sweet Chin Music, by the time you wake up you’ve already lost.
EVAN BOURNE: That’s easy — The Sharpshooter. The technical prowess it takes to put on a Sharpshooter? Lock it in and make your opponent give up? I know how to kick, but can I put on a Sharpshooter and make somebody tap? I don’t think so.
McINTYRE: The Sharpshooter. I used that bad boy so many times on people. And I could apply it perfectly — unlike The Rock.
RYDER: Sweet Chin Music can come out of nowhere, but I feel like a lot of people throw a similar kick. That Sharpshooter, once Bret Hart has it hooked on, that’s it.
CURT HAWKINS: How about the HBK elbow drop?
WADE BARRETT: Sharpshooter. I’ve always liked that style of move where you can pose for photographs while it’s happening.
DIBIASE: I have been kicked in the chin quite a few times by Shawn, so I am going to have to pick Sweet Chin Music, because it hurts.
PHOENIX: Sharpshooter by far, because with Sweet Chin Music there are many counters, but The Sharpshooter is one of those holds that you rarely ever saw countered. Once it was locked in, it was always the tap out.
Who made the right decision in Montreal?
The rivalry between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels raged for nearly a decade both in and out of the ring, but it came to be defined by a single date: November 9, 1997. That night, HBK and The Hit Man clashed for Hart’s WWE Championship at the Survivor Series in Montreal, in a bout that changed the course of WWE. Knowing that Hart was planning to leave for WCW, Mr. McMahon came to ringside during the bout and forced the official to call for the bell when Michaels had The Hit Man locked in the Sharpshooter, thus stripping Hart of the title. The incident changed not only the three men involved, but the very direction of WWE as The Chairman became a loathed villain and standards of taste dipped to new lows in the absence of the heroic Hart.
DOLPH ZIGGLER: I saw Wrestling with Shadows a long time ago and said, ‘Man, Bret
CHRISTIAN: I was there. Edge had a developmental contract with the company at the time. I went with him to the show and we got to be flies on the wall. We saw a lot of hoopla going on in the locker room. We were a little bit confused, so we just tried to stay out of the way until an official came up and said, “It’s probably better if you guys left.” We just got out of there and we didn’t even realize until the next day what had happened, so it was kind of crazy.
BOURNE: I always feel like Vince screwed Bret. Bret did not screw Bret.
RYDER: At the time, I couldn’t believe it, but it just created this interest, this buzz, this “Attitude Era.” It got all these new fans watching and I wasn’t a loser in high school for wearing wrestling shirts anymore.
BARRETT: Bret Hart was an incredible performer, but he should have agreed to drop the title to Shawn Michaels on the night in question. I think it was the right thing to do for the business at the time, even if it wasn’t the right thing for him to do personally.
HAWKINS: The guys that work here now understand what it’s like. Now you’re in Bret’s shoes and you’re getting a different perspective than you did on the outside looking in. You know how he felt about what was going down and what was asked of him, so it’s tough.
PHOENIX: Bret was screwed, and his exit from
MORRISON: I understand why Bret felt the way he did about the “Screwjob,” but taking a step back I understand why Vince felt the way he did too. It’s hard to say who’s right and wrong, but what’s interesting is what’s gone on since then. Vince knew that Bret was good for business and brought him back, and that’s why I think the phrase, “Never say never,” always makes sense.
PUNK: At the end of the night [in 1997], I was really just sad, because I didn’t think I would ever see Bret in WWE again. I mean, the guy worked his [butt] off for this place and they just discarded him like a piece of garbage. I was even more disappointed the next night when nobody really did anything about it. Sure, Owen and Davey and Anvil did, but you expected them to. I almost wish everybody stuck up for him.
NATALYA: When the “Screwjob” went down, I saw the pain that my uncle went through. It was very sad and very traumatizing for him. It really affected our entire family, because my dad and Davey [Natalya’s uncle, The British Bulldog] still worked for WWE. My grandmother was upset about it. My grandfather was rattled. It divided the family in a few ways.
CENA: I think it's best summed up as being a typical day in WWE. Anything can happen on any given broadcast.
Who has had more influence on your career?
It’s been more than a decade since Survivor Series 1997 and much has changed. The Hit Man made an unexpected return to WWE, beat Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania and made his peace with Shawn Michaels. HBK left his adolescent arrogance behind, had kids and found God. Both Superstars have retired and been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Now, their complete legacies as influential competitors can be reviewed in full.
ZIGGLER: It’s no question — Shawn Michaels is the greatest of all time. Bret Hart was really good at wrestling, but this is the sports-entertainment business. I model myself after some of the greatest sports-entertainers of all time and Shawn Michaels is absolutely at the top of the list. I’ve always been a huge fan and always will be.
MORRISON: Shawn is my inspiration to this day. The flamboyance, the flash, the charisma, the attitude — that is what really made me love wrestling, and that’s why I think he’s so cool.
BARRETT: My favorite match of all time is The British Bulldog against Bret “Hit Man” Hart for the Intercontinental Title at [SummerSlam 1992]. To see those two together in such a great venue, in such a great match with such great buildup ... it’s my favorite wrestling memory.
DANIEL BRYAN: Shawn Michaels. He trained me!
CENA: I really have competed in some grueling matches against Shawn, so I've got to take HBK on that one.
McINTYRE: Bret’s matches always drew me in. I didn’t understand why until I actually started myself. When you realize what he’d done in the ring it’s just compelling.
NATALYA: I am very loyal to my Uncle Bret, but I never hated Shawn. It’s hard to hate somebody that performs the way that he does. Like him or hate him, you have to respect him. He’s one of the greatest of all time.
PUNK: Even though I was so drawn to Shawn as a kid, I think I learned more from Bret, because of his basics and fundamentals. That’s a foundation that everybody should learn. Unfortunately, everybody does not. He is the perennial wrestler’s wrestler. No lie — best there is, best there was, best there will ever be.
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